In order for you to believe that I’m a comedian, I need to tell you a joke. I can tell you all day long how hilarious I am. But until I actually make you laugh, you won’t (and shouldn’t) believe me. It’s a claim, not a brand position. That’s the point of content marketing. Produce ‘content’ that proves your brand position. You sell shoes? You produce videos of them being made. And being worn. You shoot photos of outfits that your shoes go with. You write a blog about your adventure to Brazil to secure the leather that you use. That is content.

Then, you deploy this content in a manner that will reach your target. Instagram, YouTube, your website, websites that your target visits often (like a fashion site), webinars, etc. That’s the marketing part. Not only do I want you to think something specific about the brand, based on what I produce, I also want you to visit my website so that I can show you more content. Reinforce the brand. Convert you to a newsletter subscriber. Better yet, make you a customer.

SEO firms. Pay-per-click agencies. Here’s why they’re a fad and can’t compete with full-service marketing firms: None of these services can stand on their own. Yes, you might very well need each of them. But, sourcing them singularly from individual firms guarantees that your marketing efforts will never be integrated. OK maybe, MAYBE, you have a team of in-house marketing people that can put it all together, developing marketing campaigns that use your chosen tools together, playing each one off of the next. But, you probably don’t. And that, almost assuredly, is not the best use of company resources.

Do you need content to execute modern marketing? Probably. But, you also need SEM, paid media, public relations, and a few others (all depending on your industry and your strategy). But realize that it’s a one-off tactic, unless it’s part of a well-conceived strategic marketing plan that is designed to meet quantifiable objectives.